Why do enterprises need a dedicated core network?

Just a few years ago, a global mobile private network (MPN) would have seemed too complex to be possible. However, today’s enterprises are developing use cases that require this exact solution. In fact, with the advent of 5G, momentum is building for private network solutions as customers expect high performance and guaranteed service levels across every infrastructure they own.

The mobile private network solution consists of a dedicated radio access network (RAN) and a dedicated core mobile network. The combination of the two creates a truly private, secure and high-performance network that can meet the needs of modern enterprises such as industry, medical, automotive or logistics.

The following are the main factors that customers seek out MPN:

Guaranteed coverage

Enterprises want their connected facilities to work even in areas with low or no coverage. These use cases include: hospitals, offshore oil rigs or remote mining sites. For many new users, "ubiquitous" is a reasonable requirement, such as fleet management and logistics organization. This may be anything from rural areas to closed spaces, or simply providing peace of mind when a network failure occurs. Smart MPN solutions will enable employees to securely access corporate resources whether working on-site, at home or abroad.

high performance

Modern businesses have strict requirements for their throughput, e.g. high bandwidth, low latency. This is particularly important with the advent of Industrial IoT or medical devices, where any disruption to operations has health and safety implications. The shift from Wi-Fi to cellular networks is a drive to get reliable service at all times.

Dedicated networks can deliver high throughput at low latency, allowing enterprises to guarantee service levels. The solution will allow customers to create policies for the types of data traffic that are prioritized, set latency thresholds to ensure performance and meet customer SLAs, and make provisions for customers with large numbers of devices, which is particularly important for the Internet of Things.

Comply with corporate policies and security

When a private network is deployed for an enterprise, policies and regulations in the fields of information technology and security can be easily met because the network only serves that enterprise without having to consider the needs of other enterprises or the public.

Security requirements are another common reason why enterprises seek to leverage MPNs. Extending any internal policies to other devices in the field and multiple locations around the world is a real game changer for enterprise solutions. The right full-stack connectivity solution will enhance this with granular SIM-level security, so that all devices have their own unique identifier on the network. If they are not authenticated, administrators can ensure they are blocked from access, strictly controlling usage.

Another huge benefit of the right provider is the ability to securely segment traffic. In practice, this means that when employees are working, the private campus core will be used, and when they switch to another non-work related activity, a different packet gateway will be used. Communications will be split using the destination of the traffic, all behind the scenes. This dynamic means that performance, latency, and capacity are best-in-class where they are needed most.

Management and control oriented

Of course, a private network is only as good as what you can achieve with it. For enterprises, an MPN with a global core network is the only way to provide seamless roaming capabilities without running into compliance or regulatory issues. I see many enterprises looking for this solution to leave the secure corporate environment and continue working at home or on the go or abroad. Even in highly regulated industries such as healthcare or finance, your corporate data never leaves the private network.

Inside the network, MPN also provides enterprises with the necessary flexibility to establish granular policies on how data can be accessed and transferred without MNO intervention. These policies can be changed over time to meet business strategy and across multiple facilities, for example, which devices can access the company intranet, or which users can access a specific file server and from where. With MPN, enterprises can set rules that meet corporate or IT policies and know that these rules are processed behind the scenes without requiring MNO input every time a new device or employee joins the network.

Opening the door to complex enterprise application scenarios

As the connectivity market continues to expand, enterprises are looking for highly flexible, cost-effective solutions that meet specific use cases that include strict regulatory requirements, stringent security needs, and specific conditions such as performance, mobility, and coverage.